A number of devices have been utilized in the past to divide a plurality of discrete objects such as seeds into separate groups based on one or more physical characteristics of the discrete objects. A mechanism employed to process and separate seeds into groups is the vibrating table separator which supports seeds and separates and generally classifies the seeds according to size and/or density. Such arrangements are relatively inefficient and expensive and do not provide the degree of reliability one would desire, particularly when processing relatively small and light objects such as seeds. Furthermore, adjustment of such prior art mechanisms to process different types of seeds of other discrete objects is difficult if not impossible.
The invention disclosed in my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/405,802, filed Mar. 16, 1994, is a system utilizing independently variable gaseous flows to sort and separate discrete objects such as seeds into separate groups.
Other prior art arrangements are known wherein seeds and other discrete objects are placed into a moving airflow to clean or otherwise process the seeds and other objects. However, the inventor is not aware of the existence of prior art systems which utilize a vacuum induced airflow to batch or classify seeds or other discrete objects and collect them into a plurality of separate groups, as disclosed and claimed herein.